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Chapter 11

Hunter

Fort Hood had never been my home. Although I’d visited the Army base before, I had never been stationed there. It was bigger than I remembered. And busier. As I walked along the sidewalk toward housing, I wasn’t sure where I was going. Johnson had said he lived here, but aside from the fact that I knew he drove a black truck, I had no idea where it was. And I didn’t have a telephone number. Finding him was going to impossible. The only thing that gave me confidence as I watched the sun set lower in the sky was the fact that I couldn’t see vampires working their way inside of here. Sure, they might be able to sneak on, but they wouldn’t stand a chance against the number of soldiers ready to destroy them.

If I needed any idea of how great the rise was to battle them, all it took was the large manmade sign on the gate that said
No Vampires Allowed
. Government or not, our military wasn’t standing for a breach on their base.

A car passed by and I glanced at the white sedan as I rounded a turn, taking me deeper into the neighborhood. It seemed to stretch out forever. Red trucks, white ones, but even with as common as black was, I had yet to see one.

A kid cried out in the distance and I stiffened. The round of laughter that followed had me shaking my head. I was on edge. A part of me didn’t want to be here. I sure hoped I knew what I was doing.

“Silvia, I told you, it’ll be fine.” A man in tactical gear stomped from the porch area of a house, heading past one of the two cars in the driveway. His wife’s dark hair flew out from behind her as she chased after him. My feet faltered at the familiar face. He seemed to notice me at the exact time.

“Moretti. No fucking way.”

Romano laughed as he headed my way, embracing me before pulling back.

“Long time no see,” I laughed. “Last time I saw you, you were arriving in Afghanistan.”

“And you were leaving,” he said. “How have you been? I thought you got out.”

“I did,” I said, pushing my hands in my pockets. “I’m actually looking for a Sgt. Johnson. Big guy, he drives a black truck.”

Romano’s head turned and he peered down the street. “Shit, man. I have no idea. Do you know how many Johnsons I’ve run into throughout the years?”

I looked down at the strap around his chest, holding the bow. “Probably a lot. Say, where you going all geared up?”

He glanced toward his wife and turned back to me, frowning. “Me and some of the guys head out to clean up the underground here. Fucking vampires. We’re starting to make some headway. The ones we haven’t gotten are clearing out. Probably heading toward the city.”

“That’s why I’m here. Johnson’s been rallying in Austin. I’m coming to stay with him for a while to help out.”

“Oh …
that
Johnson. He’s got a white truck now, man. Four houses down. Come with me, we’ll ride out with him.”

Romano turned, giving his wife a peck on the cheek before heading back toward me. I could see her unease. I understood it. She had every right to fear for her husband’s life. I knew better than anyone what they were capable of.

“Be careful,” she called out to us as we began to walk away.

“Always,” he answered over his shoulder.

I planted my feet and it took a few steps before he realized I wasn’t by his side. I pressed my lips together as he faced me. It wasn’t usually my place to say anything, but after what had happened, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. She was still standing there. Watching.

“What’s up? You change your mind?”

“No,” I said, taking in her sad expression. “But I’m not going anywhere until you go back and give your wife a real kiss and hug. Is this the way you want her to remember you if shit goes down? Come on, she deserves better than that. Who’s stuck by your side through everything?”

Something flashed behind his eyes and he peered over to her. “You’re right. Guess I just don’t want her to worry. We’ve been through so much already.”

“Yes, we all have. I’ve seen too much death, lately. Make this right. Every time you leave the house, give her something to remember you by.”

I barely finished before Romano was jogging toward his house. I turned my back, not able to witness their emotion. Instead, I focused on the white truck I had already passed. It wasn’t seconds later Johnson emerged from his house with another man. They were talking. As if he felt me, he stopped the conversation and looked in my direction. A smile came to his face and I shrugged, heading his way. It didn’t take long for Romano to catch back up.

“Moretti. Didn’t think I’d ever see you again. Glad you proved me wrong.”

I sighed, taking in the three men who surrounded me. “I figured we’re all out for the same thing. If I can help contribute, I’ll do so.”

“Oh …
you
will,” Johnson said. “You’re going to help us out more than you know. Your skills. Fucking phenomenal. I can still feel you.”

I glanced nervously at the Romano and the other soldier I’d never met before.

“What is that?” Romano asked. “It’s … like them. I felt it before I saw you. I thought I was imagining it.

Johnson gestured to his truck. “Well talk about it on the way. Let’s load up.”

The guys went to the back doors so I climbed in the front. Johnson didn’t speak until he reversed and started heading down the street. “So how’d you get here?”

I shifted in the seat, not proud of what I had to do. “I stole a car. Dumped it off base.”

“Jesus,” he whispered. “Gotta do what you gotta do, I guess.”

“Yep.” I swallowed hard, not really wanting to go into why I was here, but I knew it was coming. I could feel the energy from the men behind me getting restless. “Vampire blood,” I said, turning around. “That’s what you feel. I was searching for my … best friend. She was taken by a Master. I found her and went underground with her. They kept me there for months, refusing to let me leave. Her…” I let out a deep breath. “Her maker did some really fucked up shit to us. I ended up having to kill both of them before I escaped.”

Romano’s eyes flared and I watched as his mind worked. He was thinking, and he knew enough about me to put the pieces together.

“We’re not talking about—”

“Tessa,” I said, cutting him off. “Yes.”

“But, you were going to come back to marry her. It’s the whole reason you were getting out. Fuck, man, I’m sorry.”

Pain lanced my heart and I tried to push the images away. “It had to happen. Once she changed, she wasn’t the same. And she couldn’t escape them. She made me promise. I went through with it.”

“What’s up with that?” the stranger asked, nodding to my head. I didn’t have to read his mind to know what he was talking about. My hair might have been growing back, but not where I wanted it to the most. Not yet. Maybe never.

Nausea had me pausing. “That would be where I blew my brains out after I killed her. The vampire’s blood prevented the one thing I wanted the most. It wasn’t meant to be so here I am.”

Silence left sweat pouring from me. Johnson glanced in my direction before he took a left. “I don’t blame you. Crossed my mind on more than one occasion when I lost my wife to vampires. If I would have had to kill her, I would have done the same thing.”

“Same here,” Romano said, reaching forward and grasping my shoulder. “We got you. Never doubt that.”

“I never have.”

Johnson pulled into a base’s movie theater and I followed as they climbed out. When we entered, my feet halted. The place was filled with soldiers. Some were in uniform, others weren’t. Men and women, all ages. They grew quiet as we came in. Johnson led us to the front and I crossed my arms before me, clutching to one of my wrists as he began to speak.

“Thanks for coming, everyone. Before we go into what we’ve learned, I’d like to introduce to you a veteran and a good friend of mine. This is former Sergeant First Class, Hunter Moretti. He’s done multiple tours in Afghanistan. He’s a damn good leader and he’s going to be one of our greatest assets. He knows more about the vampire community than any of us can begin to imagine. He’s spent the last few months as a captive to the underground and he’s managed to escape, but not without a price. He lost someone dear to him too, just like the majority of us in here. He was also the one with me and Gomez when we lost Thatcher and Waters. He’s dependable and exactly who we’re looking for. Let’s give him a welcome and get down to business.”

Whispers and something short of cheers echoed through the large space as I gave a nod. Johnson turned to a table set up next to the screen. There were a few papers resting on the top. He grabbed one, scanning over the contents.

“We lost two more soldiers?” He scanned the crowd, stopping on a man in the second row, toward the end. “What happened, Artega?”

The man stood. Even in his posture, I could see his grief. The weight had his shoulders sagging. He wasn’t taking the losses easy.

“A vampire came up in the rear at a fork in the tunnels. Munez must have not seen it in time. It got him and Kepler before we could take it out with the stakes.”

Artega sat back down and whispering ensued for only a moment before Johnson began scanning the crowd again.

“What do we have on ideas to make this easier? Hanson?”

A tall soldier on the first row looked up from his own paper. “We’re still looking into a few things. We have the soakers, loaded with holy water, the stakes, and even a few flame throwers but due to the size of the tunnels, it makes it hard for us to use anything with real power.”

A sigh left Johnson and I couldn’t help but speak up. “What about thermal? It would read their heat signatures. If we could get some down there, we’d be able to see a lot better than with just the headlamps or a flashlight. They may not register to the temperature we would, but they’ll come close enough.”

“Thermal,” Johnson repeated. “Yes, Hanson, you hear that. Get us some thermal.”

“You’re using night vision, right?” I asked.

“Well.” Johnson twisted his mouth. “We use our own equipment. Some of the scopes on the guns have it, but not everyone can afford it right now.

I glanced around at the crowd. “We’ll go out to businesses and ask for donations. We’ll set up a drive. Whatever we have to do. People will help. They’ll support us.”

Johnson smiled, nodding. “What else do you suggest?”

Already, he was looking up to me. It was only a matter of time before they all saw I was meant to lead. And I would.

“Physical training. We’ve all been through it. It’s time we work our hardest and step it up. These vampires are strong and fast. We have to be able to physically fight if it comes to that. Not all have special powers or gifts. At best, they’re faster, stronger, and they can climb walls. If we can eliminate them before they get to us, great. If not, you have to learn to break necks. It’ll incapacitate them long enough for someone to make the kill. Do not make the mistake in thinking that it will kill them. The only way a vampire can die is by decapitation or a direct hit to their heart. Even a Master can die if you stab them in the heart with a holy relic. I know. I’ve killed two this way.”

Well, Tessa may not have been a Master, but she would have been. And she was just as strong with her gifts. It wouldn’t have been long. And her blood made her stronger than a normal vampire. She counted.

“You’re telling me you’ve killed two Masters?” A man rose from the back row. “That’s impossible.”

“I assure you it is not. I killed him and paid a price for it. His blood got in my mouth. A lot of it. I can never get rid of it. Made someday it will fade, but with the vampire’s status, I doubt it will in my lifetime.”

“Status, what do you mean?”

I squeezed tighter to my wrist. “He went by the title, The Black Prince. His name was Sayer. He was a member of the most elite vampire circle there is, Axis. Ten members are all that fill this circle and they are the strongest vampires in the world. He … attacked me for reasons I will not disclose. During our fight, I managed to stab him in the heart repeatedly with a dagger that was blessed by my uncle, a priest. It worked. I decapitated him afterward. I wasn’t going to take chances. If you’re faced with a Master and manage to pierce his heart, I suggest you do it, too. Their healing strength is amazing. No bullet will do the job. A stake, a knife … it has to break the skin. Bless everything you can. Carry a rosary or cross. Prayer will stop them in their tracks. It’s also a time saver if you need a few seconds to attack.”

Wide eyes stared at me. I glanced at Johnson, taking a step back. “My best advice—find God. You’ll need to if you decide to continue this.”

Chapter 12

Tessa

“More!”

Heat raced from the core of my stomach and through my limbs as I let the power explode from my body. Sweat was drenching the red dress I wore and the more Aetas tested me, the weaker I was becoming. I wasn’t ready for this. I’d barely just got out of bed. If it weren’t for Marie’s blood, I would have been on death’s doorstep.

The walls and floor shook around me as Marko’s gift rippled the shield around us. Aetas was protected from the blast, but I could see the toll it was taking on him, too. He was sweating, absorbing the force I continually let free.

“Perfect. Each time you do this, you grow stronger. Already you’ve made progress. It’s phenomenal, really. The talent you have could bring you right here to the top. Right under me if you kept this up. There’d be nothing you couldn’t do, Princess.”

“I don’t want to be at the top. I want to go home,” I said, angrily. “You wanted me to learn. I’m learning.”

“You’ve learned nothing,” he said, exploding. “You feel so confident in your abilities? Take me into your gaze. Show me what you can do.”

He came forward at a swift pace, stopping before me. I could barely stand, more or less try the mind tricks he was so good at.

“Do it. Show me what you got. Make it quick or else I’ll take you back into mine. That’s a dangerous place for you to go if you want to be true to your precious Marko.”

The threat had my eyes rising to his. I pushed into his mind, immediately feeling a wall block me. He was trying to make it impossible for me to enter, but I refused to give up so easily. Darkness began to seep in and I could feel a slight give. Powerful or not, Aetas had cracks in his armor. All I had to do was find a spot big enough for me to squeeze through and I’d have him.

“Come on, Princess. I don’t have all night.”

His words were far away, echoing in the distance. The harder I pushed, the more ground I lost. I tried to let myself relax. The need to become one with the void teased my thoughts. I wasn’t sure if it was him slipping the idea in my mind or if it was me, but something within the knowledge clicked. Instead of keeping my energy focused toward a certain point, I let it expand. I could begin to feel myself ooze forward, slipping and sliding through as I grew larger. It was a scary sensation, but one I didn’t balk from. If Aetas reversed our roles, he could use his authority again. I couldn’t have that.

“You have two min—”

Like light in the darkness, I surged over his wall, falling right into his mind like a bottomless pit. It was the opposite of what I was supposed to be doing. I was meant to bring him into my mind. To control him that way, but this was better. Here I’d have unlimited knowledge. Here … for the smallest moment … I’d rule.

Images began to pour their way through, categorized in time. Time … yes … the void was the beginning. I could feel myself in it. Feel myself born as light blinded me. Years bombarded my brain. Centuries. I’d always been a vampire. Always known nothing but the dark.

As my gifts grew and the population within my kind expanded, I learned. I prospered. Nothing was out of reach. Nothing too hard. Boredom came. Loneliness. So many centuries and nothing I had to look forward to.
War.
It was always there. Always a game we came back to. One we relied on to kill time. We’d done this before on multiple occasions. We could do it again. Humans were stupid. We could always make them forget about our existence. Our myth would continue after our fun and we’d count down the decades before we geared up again. But this time was different. This time there was more media access. More technology. We could still cover up who we were after the bloodshed and population control, but did I want to? I was tired of this game. Tired of how everything was a never-ending cycle of the same old shit.

Aetas’ thoughts continued, but I searched for more. More secrets. More information on his gifts. They were there, within me now, but I couldn’t get a good read on how to use them. Just more imagines and sensations. They were my guide. My knowledge.

Energy raced up my mass causing me to internally claw to Aetas’ mind in surprise. A pull snapped me from the void so hard that I stumbled back into the bed, falling over the corner of the mattress. Trembling shook my entire body as the realization hit me. The call wasn’t from my leader. It was from Marko and he was close by. He was using our ties as a rope to lure me back to him. And I couldn’t deny the order. I would react whether my mind wanted to or not.

“You…” Aetas dove, covering me with his weight as he grasped my neck. “How did you do that? What made you think you had the right!”

There was a murderous glint in his eyes. Training or not, I had overstepped my bounds. Saw into what our nature really was.
War.
It would always be there and he would never allow us to win. We weren’t meant to. He knew what I had from the beginning. If we took over, we’d destroy this planet. The thing was, he was teetering on the brink of allowing it to happen. He was just as unstable as he claimed Marko to be.

“I made a mistake by thinking you had limits. You’re more dangerous than I thought at this stage.” His fingers eased on my neck, but still held firm. I saw the conflict in his eyes. He may have been threatened by my strength, but it enticed him. Greed. Even Aetas harbored it.

The pull yanked harder on my being and I fought to get myself loose from my leader. Through the daze, he hadn’t noticed Marko’s presence. I watched as the awareness had his gaze jerking to the curtains. A deep sound escaped his lips and he held tighter to my neck.

“The two of you are beginning to pose quite the problem.”

“Let me go, then,” I tried saying.

Tighter he choked me. My lips began going numb, along with my limbs. I hadn’t seen much of this side of Aetas, but the longer I was here, the more I was starting to see that he wasn’t above any of the other vampires I’d met. We were all cruel. All focused on our own needs. To hell with anyone else.

“You’ll stay here. I’ll deal with this once and for all.”

“No, please.” Everything within me wanted to attack him. To fight to escape. I couldn’t. Not if I wanted to live. I would be nothing more than a fugitive. A vampire on the run. And they were good enough to find me. Besides, I was putting Marko in danger. Maybe it was best for him to think me dead. He would be safer. His pain I could soothe when I left here.

My eyes closed as the tears escaped. I could feel myself closing off. Become just as numb on the inside as parts of me were on the outside. Aetas seemed to feel my submission to the situation. His grip eased and his lips brushed over my cheek.

“Let me take this urge,” he said, lifting enough to place his palm over my belly. “I will feel his call for you.”

The connection from Marko snapped, making me cry out in agony. It shattered my heart the moment the need disappeared.

“Oh yes, he’s on a mission. I’m going to enjoy this. It won’t take me long.”

Couldn’t he just leave me be, tonight? I couldn’t take anymore. I was beyond exhausted and hurt. I just wanted to lie in bed and have one good night of crying myself to sleep.
Alone.

Aetas stood just as a panicked knock sounded at the door. The smile he threw me as he reached for the knob had a sickening feeling engulfing me. To him, I was nothing but a new toy. Something to fuck with until he grew bored of me, too. But how long would that be? I was breaking through his walls, physically and mentally. I didn’t think that was a good thing. Perhaps I should have played the fool and pretended to be weak.

It was too late now.

The barrier shut and I stood, gripping to my stomach. The emptiness within had more tears sliding down my cheeks. I wanted Marko. I wanted to go home. What if Aetas hurt him? I didn’t trust my leader. He had nothing to lose and he obviously didn’t like Marko.

My vampire had me heading to the door. The protectiveness I felt had my pulse jumping in a frantic rhythm. I closed my eyes as I grabbed the door knob, searching through the knowledge I had gained from breaking into Aetas’ mind. Warmth sunk into my palm from the energy imprint he had left behind and I was immediately looking through his eyes.

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

A smile came, even through my fear. What I had done may have come with consequences, but I wouldn’t regret breaching his trust. If I had insight into my leader, it left me a step ahead. He couldn’t lie to me and that put me at ease.

Vampires slipped into the nooks and shadows as he passed. As
I
passed. We were one in the moment and he didn’t even have a clue. There was anger surging through him, just as there was excitement to put Marko in his place. This was my house and no one came here without my consent. But he had, and now I would kick him out, probably weeping and begging for my mercy. Begging for
her
.

The emotions that surrounded him as he thought of me were confusing. He wasn’t sure what to think. As much as he wanted to mentor me, to have someone to trust in, his make-up made it almost impossible. He wanted to hurt me, both physically and mentally. He craved twisting my impressionable ways with his own. Corruption was deeply buried within and if he could make me squirm, it’d feed his boredom. If he ruined me and Marko, even better. I deserved to be here amongst the best of our kind. And I’d be closer living here. He wanted me close. I could see him wanting to slip inside my room at random moments. It wasn’t too sexual yet, but it was there. As it was with all of our kind. It was just a part of who we were.

“Tessa!”

Marko’s yell echoed through the large space. He was being restrained at the front door, I could feel information feed through me from the vampires who served Axis. The fact that Marko had even made it through left them begging my forgiveness.

I bounded down the steps, seeing the scene come into view.

Two vampires clutched to his shoulders, holding him down to his knees. Dark hair was falling over his forehead, messily. He’d been fighting them and not with his gift. No … he wouldn’t dare do that here. It made the joy within flare even more. He knew his place, even in his most desperate state of mind.

“Aetas! I know you have her. Give me Tessa.”

I slowed as I approached, soaking in the anguish he held within. His power was a physical force against my skin. It was heavy as I let it feed me information on just how advanced he was in person.

“You got my letter. I’ve already told you, Tessa is dead.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “She’s not. I heard her. She’s alive. Our connection led me here.”

I laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Of course it did. She’s in the memorial room. Her spirit is strong. You will always feel it.”

“She’s not dead!”

I lowered, scanning over Marko’s face as I pretended to think. “I see you’re more grief-stricken then I assumed. Would you like to visit her tomb? Perhaps you will accept this and be at ease.”

Marko made an agonizing sound and his head dropped, sending more dark hair falling forward. “She’s not dead. She’s not. I feel her here. I feel her alive.”

“She will always be alive, Master Delacroix. We all are energy, alive or dead. You just have to accept that she’s not going to be coming back to you in this life.”

“No.” The growl was deep. Marko thrashed his shoulders causing the two men holding him fight for footing. The bottomless sadness that began to fill me had Aetas’ vision fading. I was slipping in my own impatience to leave the room. The battle to ease his suffering played out in my mind. What was better? Did I allow him to suffer until I got free, or disobey Aetas and put Marko at ease with my stay here? If I raced downstairs and exposed myself, my leader may never let me leave. But at least Marko would know I was alive. The biggest question was, would he fight to bring me home, or could I convince him to wait for me, no matter how long it took?

I didn’t know.

I eased the door open, focusing more on Aetas’ energy. He was still staring down at Marko. Still trying to figure out how to hurt him and prove a point. I knew I should stop and go back to the room, but my feet wouldn’t stop going forward. God, what was I doing? Aetas could very well kill us both. Maybe when I got closer to the stairs, I’d come to my senses.

Aetas, let me speak with him. I will stay and do whatever you say. Please.

The words left me before I even considered whether I could talk to my leader. I should have known I could. He heard almost everything. As I watched his vision jerk up, it was clear he had.

“You left your room. Go back there now. I will deal with you when I return.”

“You want me to stay. Marko will never be at peace or leave you alone until you let me do this. Allow me to send him home.”

“Princess!”

“No!”
I shouted back to him.
“Allow me this!”

Aggravation roared through his head. He wanted to fight me, but he knew I was on the verge of shutting him out completely. He couldn’t afford to lose me. My blood was too strong. Too vital if something unforseen were to happen and he needed me to help protect our kind.

“Allow me. Please. You will have me at your disposal for as long as you need. But do not cheat me this opportunity to say goodbye to the man I love.”
I didn’t have to threaten what would happen if he didn’t. It was evident in my tone.